By Nancy Moore, President of NL Moore & Associates
Serving on a search team is a high calling. These dedicated individuals commit their time, energy, and prayerful discernment to be a part of one of the most important decisions a church will make: the call of its pastor. Everyone wants to get it right. For the past 15 years, NL Moore & Associates has worked with pastor search teams to take the guesswork out of this critical journey. Here are some common mistakes we help search teams avoid.
Mistake 1: Assuming it’s “like hiring at work.”
I have frequently heard something like, “In my business, I hire people all the time. This is no different.” But hiring a pastor is very different. The call of a senior pastor to a church is not only a hiring process, it is a spiritual act of God. Unlike a business, the church is not only an organization, it is also an organism: an active expression of the living Body of Christ. This reality sets the pastor search and selection process apart from what happens in the marketplace every day. It is critical for search team members to appreciate this difference so their interview and selection process can unfold in alignment with God’s purposes for their church.
Mistake 2: Underestimating the time and energy involved.
Athletes train differently for a sprint than they do for a marathon. Often, we are called upon to work with a church after their own lengthy search process failed to yield the anticipated result. While the search team began with enthusiasm and determination, they now feel exhausted, frustrated, and wondering if they will ever reach the finish line. It’s been estimated an average church-led Senior Pastor search process takes up to 24 months, sometimes longer. As well-networked, experienced search consultants who do this work full-time, the process takes around 6-7 months. Search teams benefit from support and resourcing in areas such as clear process, experienced coaching, finding exceptional candidates, and best practices in communication with candidates and congregation. Without it, many end up experiencing the kind of weariness and burnout that impact the quality of their discernment and decisions. It is important to understand the journey and to count the cost on the front end so the team can pace with the process and reach the finish line energized and unified.
Mistake 3: Recruiting to your highlight reel.
We believe in the power of your story. It is part of what God uses to draw the right candidates into the conversation. In doing so, it is important to remember pastors are wired by God to meet needs. And they are motivated by challenge as well as opportunity.
I have held thousands of conversations and interviews with pastors over the past fifteen years. I have heard their stories of search teams and elder board members who, in interviews, have painted a picture of the church that sounded amazing only to discover down the road all was not as it was described. In essence, these well-meaning church representatives chose to share from the highlight reel. What was left out or minimized were the challenging realities that are actually sapping the energy and satisfaction of their congregation today. Things like internal conflict, frequent staff turnover, declining attendance, or an aging congregation are minimized while the dreams and aspirations of a few leaders are painted like a landscape of possibility representing the whole church. Pastoral candidates deserve an honest, unfiltered, and candid view of your ministry. Trust God. We believe His candidate will be able to hear your realities and still see the Kingdom potential within them.
Mistake 4: Treating interviews like a one-way street.
Interviews are a two-way street. Prospective candidates want you to know them, but they also want to get to know you. The search team is on the front line of discerning candidate “fit” to your opportunity, but they are also providing a first impression of what it would be like to serve as your pastor. It is imperative for a search team to conduct a thorough vetting of prospective candidates, but in doing so they must also recognize the importance of allowing the candidate to ask their questions and to discern what it would be like to live and work within your church and community. At the right time, include the spouse in the process. Flex your relational muscles and ask the candidate what topics or discussions they would like to see included in the process. During on-site visits, consider their stage of life and offer an opportunity for them to tour the area, check into local schools or spend some time with a realtor. Honor the mutual discernment needed to affirm a spiritual call.
Mistake 5: Poor communication
Lack of communication is almost always perceived as negative. Sadly, pastors report to us church search teams are notorious for failing to communicate. Some candidates have submitted information and never heard anything in return. Some received a “Thank you. We have received your materials,” auto-reply but don’t hear anything else for months. Even after an initial interview, pastors have reported they received no feedback or communication about potential next steps or the search team’s overall timeline. Maybe you don’t know what to say or are unclear about your next steps. Maybe you have a full-time job that ramped up and has limited your availability to follow up with the details. When we work with search teams, we support their communication with candidates by ensuring regular touchpoints that ensure expectations are set and managed appropriately.
Remember, some communication is better than none. Even if it is just, “Thanks for your patience with us. We will be back in touch in two weeks,” a search team should make every effort to communicate with all candidates, and to make timely decisions that honor the process and all its participants.
NL Moore & Associates is a ministry consulting group that works nationally with churches in succession planning, pastor search, church health assessment, and pastoral coaching. For more information, please visit our website at www.nlmoore.com.